Career and Education Opportunities for Special Education Teachers in Knoxville, Tennessee

Special education teachers can find many career and educational opportunities in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. About 1,200 people are currently employed as special education teachers in Tennessee. By 2016, this is expected to grow by 27% to 1,510 people employed. This is better than the national trend for special education teachers, which sees this job pool growing by about 18.1% over the next eight years. In general, special education teachers teach middle school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students.

The average wage in the general category of Special Education jobs is $19 per hour or $42,292 per year in Tennessee, and an average of $22 per hour or $49,620 per year nationwide. Earnings for special education teachers are better than earnings in the general category of Special Education in Tennessee and better than general Special Education category earnings nationally. Special education teachers work in a variety of jobs, including: momd teacher , behavior specialist, and least restricted environment facilitator .

There are fifteen schools of higher education in the Knoxville area, including two within twenty-five miles of Knoxville where you can get a degree to start your career as a special education teacher. Special education teachers usually hold a Bachelor's degree, so you can expect to spend about four years training to become a special education teacher if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Special Education Teacher

In general, special education teachers teach middle school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. They also includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Special education teachers attend professional meetings and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. They also talk with parents or guardians and administrators to deal with students' behavioral and academic problems. Equally important, special education teachers have to establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. They are often called upon to meet with parents and guardians to consider their children's progress and to establish priorities for their children and their resource needs. They are expected to talk with parents and professionals to evolve individual educational plans designed to promote students' educational and social development. Finally, special education teachers perform administrative duties such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.

Every day, special education teachers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for special education teachers to monitor teachers and teacher assistants to insure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements. They are often called upon to organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical and social development. They also supervise and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers. They are sometimes expected to instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene and food preparation. Somewhat less frequently, special education teachers are also expected to attend professional meetings and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.

Special education teachers sometimes are asked to ready materials and classrooms for class efforts. and observe and evaluate students' performance and physical health. And finally, they sometimes have to guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems, or special academic interests.

Like many other jobs, special education teachers must have exceptional integrity and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Knoxville include:

Adult Education Teacher. Teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in remedial education classes, preparatory classes for the General Educational Development test, literacy, or English as a Second Language. Teaching may or may not take place in a traditional educational institution.

High School Special Education Teacher. Teach secondary school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Kindergarten Teacher. Teach elemental natural and social science, personal hygiene, and literature to children from 4 to 6 years old. Promote physical, mental, and social development. May be required to hold State certification.

Special Needs Teacher. Teach elementary and preschool school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Special Education Teacher Training

Carson-Newman College - Jefferson City, TN

Carson-Newman College, 1646 S Russell Ave, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Carson-Newman College is a small college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 2,032 students and an admission rate of 71%. Carson-Newman College has a bachelor's degree program in Special Education and Teaching which graduated two students in 2008.

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN

The University of Tennessee, Circle Park, Knoxville, TN 37996. The University of Tennessee is a large university located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 30,406 students and an admission rate of 71%. The University of Tennessee has a bachelor's degree program in Special Education and Teaching which graduated eighteen students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee photo by Huntster

Knoxville is located in Knox County, Tennessee. It has a population of over 184,802, which has grown by 6.3% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Knoxville, 84, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Knoxville are valued at $105,300 on average, which is well below the state average. In 2008, two hundred forty-one new homes were built in Knoxville, down from six hundred twenty-seven the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Knoxville are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is educational services, construction, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 20 minutes. More than 24.6% of Knoxville residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 9.5%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Knoxville is 9.0%, which is less than Tennessee's average of 10.2%.

The percentage of Knoxville residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 62.0%, is more than both the national and state average. Lincoln Park United Methodist Church, Springhill Baptist Church and Lincoln Park Baptist Church are all churches located in Knoxville. The largest religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church and the Catholic Church.

Knoxville is home to the Eastern State Hospital Farm and the Berry Hall as well as Volunteer Park and Neyland Stadium. Shopping malls in the area include Clinton Plaza Shopping Center, Walker Springs Plaza Shopping Center and Northgate Plaza Shopping Center. Visitors to Knoxville can choose from Homewood Suites Knoxville West, Days Inn and Days Inn Knoxville West for temporary stays in the area.